Mary-Louise Parker Put In Charge Of R.I.P.D's Zombies

Mary-Louise Parker was brilliant on Weeds back when the show was still good instead of whatever it is now. But she was just sort of OK in R.E.D. which to me suggests that even though she’s currently my desktop wallpaper, maybe she’s not cut out for major stardom on the bigger screen. She’ll keep at it though, in R.I.P.D.. What is it with her and movie title acronyms?

The movie already stars Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Bacon. Based on a graphic novel series, the movie will have Reynolds playing a recently killed cop working for zombie police officers. That’s right, zombie police officers. Rest in Peace Department. That name is not a joke. Reynolds’ character goes to work trying to find the man who murdered him, which seems like a pretty surreal and emotionally draining experience but which will probably mostly involve a lot of guns and the occasional uniformed zombie walk.

Ludicrous though it sounds, apparently the graphic novel is really good, and there’s been a lot of buzz about this idea in Hollywood for a long time. Joining the cast is probably a good move for Parker who Variety says will play a woman overseeing the zombie police division and who explains to Reynolds why he’s still walking around even though he’s dead. Think of her as lady exposition. The part was originally supposed to go to Jodie Foster, which suggests it’s potentially pretty significant.

Expect R.I.P.D. to show up in theaters in 2013 when we’ll probably all look at the trailer and say, “zombies were so 2012!” before buying a ticket anyway.